Nova Patents
US7184728B2

Distributed automatic gain control system

Summary by NHIP

Distributed automatic gain control system

The wireless distribution system combines signals from distributed remote units using input power monitors and variable gain controllers. A controller adjusts individual gains based on a weighting function proportional to measured power levels to prevent the combined signal from exceeding a predetermined threshold.

Claim Score by NHIP

Read claim 32, the broadest

Abstract

A wireless distribution system includes a number of remote units distributed in a coverage area to receive wireless signals and to provide the signals through the distribution system to input ports of a node where the signals are combined, a number of input power monitors operatively connected to one or more of the input ports to determine power levels of signals received at the input ports, variable gain controllers to control signals received at some or all of the input ports, a node to combine a plurality of signals from the plurality of input ports, and a controller to provide control signals to control one or more of the variable gain controllers.

US7184728B2, drawing sheet 1
Sheet 1 of 3

Term

Term ended

Expired 13 July 2024, 2.2 years ago.

  1. Priority and filed
  2. Granted
  3. Expired
  4. Today

36 claims: 10 independent, 26 dependent

  1. 1
    A wireless distribution system, comprising:a plurality of remote units distributed in a coverage area to receive upstream supported and non-supported wireless signals;a plurality of input ports to receive signals comprising the wireless signals provided by the plurality of remote units;a plurality of input power monitors operatively connected to one or more of the plurality of input ports to determine power levels of signals received at the input ports;a plurality of variable gain controllers to control the gain of signals received at the one or more of the plurality of input ports in response to a plurality of corresponding control signals;a node to combine a plurality of signals from the plurality of input ports;and a controller to provide the plurality of corresponding control signals to individually control each of the variable gain controllers.
  2. 12
    A method for controlling the signal levels of a wireless distribution system, the method comprising:receiving upstream supported and non-supported wireless signals at a plurality of remote units distributed in a coverage area;providing signals from the remote units to a plurality of input ports;monitoring input power levels of the signals received at one or more of the plurality of input ports;combining signals from the plurality of input ports at a node;determining individual control signals for each of the input ports based on a weighting function that is proportional to the monitored input power levels such that the combined power does not exceed a predetermined level, and gain controlling the signals received at the input ports in response to the control signals.
  3. 14
    A method for controlling the signal levels of a wireless distribution system, the method comprising:receiving upstream supported and non-supported wireless signals at a plurality of remote units distributed in a coverage area;providing signals from the remote units to a plurality of input ports;monitoring the input power level of the signals received at each of the input ports;controlling the gain of the signals received at each of the input ports in response to a control signal;combining the signals from the plurality of input ports at a node;monitoring power levels of the combined signals;determining weights for a weighting function that is proportional to power received at each input port, as determined by the input power monitors such that the power of the combined signals does not exceed a predetermined level;and providing the control signals to each input port based on the weighting function.
  4. 15
    A wireless distribution system, comprising:a plurality of remote units distributed in a coverage area to receive upstream supported and non-supported wireless signals and to provide the wireless signals through the distribution system to one or more input ports;a plurality of input power monitors operatively connected to the one or more input ports to determine power levels of the wireless signals received at the input port;a plurality of variable gain controllers to control the gain of the wireless signals received at the one or more input ports based on a predetermined threshold wherein a saturation level is not reached.
  5. 16
    A wireless distribution system comprising:a plurality of remote units distributed in a coverage area to receive upstream supported and non-supported wireless signals and to provide the wireless signals through the distribution system to one or more input ports;a plurality of input power monitors operatively connected to one or more of the input ports to determine power levels of the wireless signals received at the input ports;a plurality of variable gain controllers to control the gain of the wireless signals received at one or more of the input ports;a node to combine the wireless signals from the plurality of input ports;a combined power monitor to determine a power level of the signals combined at the node;and a controller to provide control signals to control one or more of the variable gain controllers so that an overflow condition does not occur at the node.
  6. 18
    A method for controlling the signal levels of a wireless distribution system, the method comprising:receiving a spectrum of upstream supported and non-supported wireless signals at a plurality of remote units distributed in a coverage area;digitizing the received signals;transmitting the digitized signals over one or more transmission links to a plurality of input ports operatively connected to a node where the signals are combined;monitoring input power kvels of the signals received at one or more of the plurality of input ports;monitoring the combined power level of the signals combined at the node;determining individual control signals for controlling the signal levels of each of the input ports based on a weighting function that is proportional to the monitored input power levels such that the combined power as determined by the combined power monitor does not exceed a predetermined level, and attenuating the signals received at each of the input ports in response to the control signals.
  7. 23
    A digital expansion unit, comprising:a plurality of input ports to receive signals comprising upstream supported and non-supported signals from a plurality of digital remote units distributed in a coverage area;a node to digitally combine signals from the input ports;a plurality of input power monitors operatively connected to one or more of the input ports to determine the level of signals received at the input ports, a plurality of gain controllers to adjust the gain of signals received at some or all of the input ports;a combined power monitor to determine the combined signal level of signals combined at the node;and a controller to provide control signals to control one or more of the gain controllers wherein an overflow condition is avoided for signals combined at the node.
  8. 24
    A wireless distribution system comprising one or more digital expansion units, the digital expansion units comprising:a plurality of input ports to receive signals comprising upstream supported and non-supported signals from a plurality of digital remote units distributed in a coverage area;a node to digitally combine signals from the input ports;a plurality of input power monitors operatively connected to one or more of the input ports to determine the level of signals received at the input ports, a plurality of gain controllers to adjust the gain of signals received at some or all of the input ports;a combined power monitor to determine the combined signal level of signals combined at the node;and a controller to provide control signals to control one or more of the gain controllers wherein an overflow condition is avoided for signals combined at the node.
  9. 25
    A wireless distribution system, comprising:a plurality of remote units distributed in a coverage area to receive upstream supported and non-supported wireless signals in the coverage area;a node to combine a plurality of wireless signals from one or more of the plurality of remote units;a power monitor to determine a power level of the wireless signals combined at the node;and a variable gain controller to control the gain of the signals combined at the node.
  10. 32
    Broadest claimClaim Score 77, broad(NHIP)A method for controlling the signal levels of a wireless distribution system, the method comprising:receiving a spectrum of upstream supported and non-supported wireless signals at a plurality of remote units distributed in a coverage area;digitizing the received signals;transmitting the digitized signals over one or more transmission links to a node where the signals are combined;monitoring the power level of the combined signals at the node;and controlling the gain of the combined signals in response to the monitored power level.
Independent claims10